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Bomb squad says internet is to blame for spike in explosives cases

Detonating a shoebox sized bundle of dynamite is a routine task to members of the Bomb Squad. It's what can be found online that scares them. A quick on video sharing sites such as YouTube and Metacafe pulls up dozens of how-to videos that demonstrate ways to mix household chemicals to make explosives.

Officer Chris Areneau of the Colorado Springs Bomb Squad says his unit is on pace to record a 70 percent increase in the number of calls for service this year and that much of that increase is due to homemade chemical bombs.

"With two clicks of a mouse, all of that information is available to anybody that wants to find it," Arseneau said.

Much like in the videos, it's teenager and young adults that are being arrested for bomb making, which can potentially be charged as a felony.

"They don't a lot of times, many times understand who posted that information on the internet and how dangerous it is because there aren't safety precautions listed," said Arseneau.

The formulas are so unstable, he says they won't even try to recreate them for training purposes.

"This isn't something even a trained professional bomb technician or explosive expert would every try and attempt on their own."

So whether for safety, or just to avoid jail time, it's best to never try making any of the devices at home.